Meet Darryn Fredericks

Darryn Fredericks 

Darryn Fredericks is 18-years-old and lives with his father and brother in Wellesley Park, a working-class neighborhood just outside of the Ridgemont Valley. Darryn works a part-time job at a fast-food restaurant, and he enjoys spending time with his best friend Mario. Darryn and Mario had been swimming together for years, and they were delighted to find out that they both had received scholarships to study at Ridgemont University.

Darryn is a bit reclusive. He is the silent, brooding and stubborn type, and he doesn't allow anyone to push him around. He has been accused of being a bit too serious at times, but he feels like he has to be. He has to become a success so that he can provide for his brother's care.

Darryn's brother, Billy, has emotional and developmental problems, and Darryn's father can't afford to get Billy the special care that he needs. If Darryn can make it to the South African national team, he'll be able to help Billy in a big way.

Darryn feels excluded and very much like an outsider at Ridgemont. The other guys on the swim team haven't really taken a liking to him. Darryn wants to show them all that he's just as good a swimmer as they are; in fact, Darryn knows that he has more raw talent than most of them, and he puts in more hours of practice. But guys like JP Terreblanche always act so arrogant around Darryn that he wishes he never had to deal with any of them. He is determined to keep his head down and take out all of his frustrations by blowing them out of the water in swim competitions.

Follow Darryn's story in Against the Tide: Ridgemont University #2.